Tributes have poured in for a Connecticut state trooper who died in a freak accident during a routine traffic stop.
Trooper Aaron Pelletier, 34, died Thursday when he was struck by a passing truck while inspecting another vehicle on I-84. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
Investigators arrested Alex Oyola-Sanchez that afternoon after he allegedly failed to stop following the collision, and cops claimed he was taking a dizzying array of drugs at the time.
At a news conference, Col. Daniel Loughman, Aaron’s commanding officer, described Pelletier as a “dedicated and compassionate professional” who was a “role model for younger officers.”
Trooper Aaron Pelletier, 34, leaves behind his wife and two young children after he was struck and killed Thursday along I-84.
Suspect Alex Oyola-Sanchez allegedly fled the scene after the crash, and police said he admitted to using a dizzying array of drugs beforehand, including fentanyl and cocaine.
Connecticut State Police said Pelletier was working an overtime shift as part of a high-visibility highway patrol grant that aimed to reduce the number of road deaths, NBC Connecticut reports.
The police officer and father of two stopped a driver after noticing he was not wearing a seat belt. While he was standing outside his vehicle talking to the driver, a red pickup truck cut into his path.
The truck, allegedly driven by Oyola-Sánchez, swerved with two wheels over the right dividing line, before colliding sideways with Pelletier’s vehicle and killing the police officer.
He was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision shortly after 2:30 p.m.
The suspected driver sped away from the scene, police said, but was arrested shortly after when he was forced to stop due to damage to his truck from the crash.
A witness reportedly called 911 and confronted the driver, and Oyola-Sanchez admitted he knew he had to stop, according to WFSB.
A huge police presence was called to the scene following Pelletier’s tragic death.
Late Thursday afternoon, hundreds of state and local police formed a procession to the spot where Pelletier was killed and escorted his body from the scene.
Following Oyola-Sanchez’s arrest, he allegedly told police that he had ingested a large amount of drugs before the crash, starting with fentanyl and cocaine.
He reportedly said he intended to consume “all the cocaine” and consumed more than a dozen bags at a time. Before the accident, she allegedly said he woke up from a nap to buy a pill, which he believed was Klonopin, from a drug dealer on the street.
Oyola-Sanchez allegedly said he then drove to work, and the next thing he remembered was a witness flagging him down after hitting the police officer.
Investigators said he showed symptoms of gait ataxia (a wobble when walking) and a field test at the hospital revealed he was severely impaired.
He was arraigned from his hospital bed and charged with second-degree murder, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and a host of other traffic violations, including failure to renew registration and driving without insurance.
On Thursday afternoon, hundreds of state and local police formed a procession to the spot where Pelletier was killed.
The long line of lights and sirens escorted his body to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, before it was transferred to a funeral home in Southington, Connecticut.
Tributes poured in for the father-of-two, with a friend saying they “can’t believe this is our reality right now.”
Colonel Daniel Loughman, Aaron’s commanding officer, described him as a “dedicated and compassionate professional” who was a “role model to younger officers.”
Tributes flooded in for Private Pelletier after his death, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont ordered flags flown at half-staff in his honor.
He leaves behind his wife Dominique and two young sons, Troy and Zachary.
A friend said on Facebook that after hearing the news of his death, “they can’t believe this is our reality right now.”
“My heart is broken,” they said. ‘I was hoping this was a bad dream… Your laugh and smile were contagious and this is so unfair! We will miss you every day.’
